Danville Express

BART fare hikes are less than original proposal

BART directors voted last Thursday to increase fares less than the 10-percent level originally recommended. At the end of a lengthy discussion, directors voted to raise basic train fares by 6.1 percent and to increase the minimum fare for short trips by 25 cents, from $1.50 to $1.75.

"The idea of a 10-percent across-the-board fare increase didn't sit well with most board members," said BART Board President Thomas Blalock, "because it put too much of a financial strain on our regular commuters."

Directors also voted to increase the surcharge for trips to and from San Francisco International Airport by $2.50, going from $1.50 to $4. BART directors also voted to begin charging a $1 parking fee at additional stations. Parking fees already are in place at some stations.

BART normally increases fares every two years based on cost-of-living formulas and its next fare hike wasn't scheduled to occur until Jan. 1. But the board voted to move up the fare increase by six months because the transit agency faces a $54 million budget deficit for the fiscal year starting July 1 and a $249 million budget shortfall over the next four years.

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